Grout applicator



Dec. 19, 1961 Filed June 26, 1959 J. J. MATRICK 3,013,291

GROUT APPLICATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. MAE/E G. TYLER, 6042.0/4/14EfT4TE 0/: /OH/V d Mare/cg Dec. 19, 1961 Filed June 26, 1959 I J. J.MATRICK GROUT APPLICATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MAE/5 G. 7Y4 5,9,G04e0/4/ ESTATE OF c /O///V c/ 4447/9/6'16,

United States Patent Office 3,013,291 Patented Dec. ,19, 1361 3,013,291GROUT APPLICATOR John J. Matrick, incompetent, by Marie G. Tyler,guardian, bothof 468 S. Oakhurst Drive, ,Beverly Hills,

This invention relates to applicator devices for adhesive material, forexample, for use in laying linoleum, applying plastic tile, applyingceramic or clay tile, or for spreading adhesive material for any otherpurpose.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedadhesive applicator which is simple in construction, which is easy touse, and which provides accurate and economical distribution of adhesivematerial on a surface. I i

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved adhesiveapplicator particularly suitably for use in spreading adhesive 'materialiri the process of laying linoleum, applying tile, or for any otherpurpose wherein adhesive material is'to be'evenly and economicallydistributed, the applicator being inexpensive to manufacture, beingdurable in construction, being relatively light in weight, and providinga great saving in time andlabor in spreading adhesive material on asurface.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of one form of adhesive applicatorconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the adhesive ap plicator shown inFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a rear end elevational view of the adhesive applicator ofFIGURES l and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal vertical cross sectional view taken on line4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 ofFIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of another form of adhesive applicatorconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross sectional view takenthrough the forward marginal portion of the adhesive applicator ofFIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a bottom plan view of a further modified form of adhesiveapplicator according to the present invention;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the gorwaird portion ofthe adhesive applicator of FIGURE all FIGURE 10 is an enlarged crosssectional detail View taken on line 10-10 of FIGURE 9.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 to 5, 11generally designates one form of adhesive applicator according to thepresent invention.

The applicator comprises a body molded of resilient deformable material,such as rubber or the like, said body being shown at 12. The body 12comprises an elongated handle portion 13 and a concaved blade element 14merging with one end of the handle element 13, the blade elementdiverging in Width from the handle element 13 and having a dependingforward marginal portion 15 which terminates in a fiat bottom edge 16,said edge lying in a common horizontal plane, as viewed in FIGURE 4.

The blade element 14 is provided with depending side portions 17, saidside portions merging with the main depending portion 15 and defining agenerally rectangular enclosure 18 having the right angled cornerportions verse cross sectional shape.

reinforcing wire 20 embedded in and extending completely around theperipheral margin ofthe body, the wire 20 being of substantial stiffnessand thus serving to maintain the body] 12 permanently in its originalshape. The reinforcing wire 20 extendsfaround the margin of the handleportion 13, as well as around the remaining marginal portions of theapplicator, being suitably bent to follow the'marginal contour of theapplicator.

Embedded in the body 12 area plurality of plies of suitable fabricreinforcing material, shown at 21, for example, canvas or similar sturdyfabric, t he reinforcing fabric elements 21 extending over a majorportion of the length of the body12 and extending into the handleportion 13, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 4.

Thetop surface of the blade member 14 is integrally formed at its rearportion with a plurality of distributed spaced upstanding projections 22to facilitate the'ma'nipuformed adjacent its end with an aperture 24which may be employedto suspend the implement on a'suitable hook or nailwhen not in use.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 5, the blade member 14 is downwardly concaveand has a generally arcuate trans- The blade member 14 thus defines acup-like receptacle therebeneath which is employed to gather and spreadadhesive material, such as the mastic material or other groutingmaterial employed in laying linoleum or applying tile. The downwardlyconcave blade member 14 serves as a means for retaining and cupping ofthe adhesive during the spreading thereof, providing accurate control ofthe spreading of the adhesive, eliminating waste of the adhesive ordripping thereof when working on such surfaces as ceilings, walls, sinkdrain boards, floors, or the like, and providing better application ofthe adhesive to ceilings than can be obtained with rigid applicators,because of the flexibility thereof.

Since the blade member 14 is substantially resilient and I since thedepending marginal portions thereof, namely, the portions thereofadjacent the smoothing edge 16 are relatively yieldable, the smoothingedge portion of the implement tends to expand responsive to pressureapplied to the implement during the use thereof, thus Widening theimplement and increasing its effective work-engaging width.

Referring now to the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 6 and7, the implement is designated generally at 11' and is similar to thepreviously described form of the invention except that the blade member,shown at 14' is provided with a generally arcuately curved bottom edgeportion 16', the arcuate edge portion 16? extending generally transverseto the handle portion, shown at 13. As in the previously described formof the invention, the implement 11' is provided with the peripheralreinforcing wire, shown at 20 which is embedded in the resilientdeformable body and which extends completely around the peripheralmargin thereof. Likewise, the body has molded therein a plurality ofplies of flexible fabric material, shown at 21 to reinforce the topportion of body 14 to prevent stretching thereof, the fabric materialterial, such as rubber, or the like, formed with a plurality of spaceddepending teeth 37, said teeth having straight bottom edges 38, lying ina common plane, said bottom edges 38 having right angled corners 39,whereby the teeth are generally square in shape. The teeth 37 are alsoflexible and tend to spread outwardly responsive to downward pressureexerted on the implement, thus increasing the effective width of thecontacting portion of the implement. Otherwise the structure of theimplement shown in FIGURES 8, 9 and 10 are similar to that illustratedin FIGURES 6 and 7.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved grout applicator havebeen disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood thatvarious modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitationsbe placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of theappended claim.

What is claimed is:

A grout applicator comprising a body molded of resilient deformablematerial and comprising an elongated handle portion and a downwardlyconcave blade element merging with one end of said handle portion, saidconcave blade element diverging in width from said handle portion andhaving depending side and forward marginal portions, said dependingforward marginal portion having its bottom edge contained substantiallyin a common plane, a relatively stifi reinforcing wire embedded in andextending completely around a peripheral margin of said body,

a plurality of plies of flexible reinforcing fabric material embedded inthe intermediate portion of said body and extending into said handleportion, said bottom edge being arcuately curved and extending generallytransversely to said handle portion, and a vertical strip of resilientdeformable material mounted on said bottom edge, said strip being formedwith a plurality of evenly spaced depending teeth, said teeth havingspaced bottom edges lying in a common plane spaced closely below theaforesaid plane, said last named bottom edges having right-angledcorners, whereby the teeth are generally square in shape, said teethbeing flexible and tending to spread outwardly responsive to pressureexerted on the applicator, whereby to increase the effective width ofthe contacting portion of the applicator, said concave blade elementserving as a means for retaining and cupping adhesive material duringthe spreading of such material on a ceiling.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS948,631 Lane Feb. 8, 1910 2,008,952 Gach July 23, 1935 2,046,599 AndrewsJuly 7, 1936 2,094,703 Hitzman Oct. 5, 1937 2,287,231 Cathcard et a1June 23, 1942 2,347,963 ONeil May 2, 1944 2,806,240 Cottar Sept. 17,1957

